Tempo indicator and governor for musical instruments.



No. 638,955. Patented Dec. l2, I899. J. H. CHASE. TEMPO INDICATOR AND GOVERNOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

(Applicatiun filed June 30, 1898.)

(No Model.)

. Z i w 2 INVENTUR deft/z, //cr5er2$ HIS ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOSEPH HERBERT CHASE, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

TEMPO INDICATOR AND GOVERNOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,955, dated December 12, 1899.

Application filed June 30, 1898. Serial No. 684,793. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: a is a sliding throttle-valve working over Beitknown that LJOSEPH HERBERT CHASE, the opening thereby regulating the amount acitizen of the United States, residing at Meriof air exhausted or forced through the said den, in the county of New Haven and State of opening to or from the bellows and so gov- 5 Connecticut, have invented a new and useful erning the speed of the said pneumatic motor. Improvement in Tempo Indicators and Gov- The opening 0 may be shaped as shown in ernors for Musical Instruments, of which the the accompanying drawings,with a wider porfollowing is a description. tion a so that as the valve opens there re- The present invention consists in an imsults a steady increase in the volume of air [0 proved tempo indicator and governor for muand a corresponding increase in the rate of sical instruments, and is intended to apply to speed of the motor until the valve suddenly allforms of pneumatic musicalinstrumentsuncloses the said wider portion 0 when a such, for instance, as the aeolianwl1erein large volume of air is instantly allowed to the sounding devices are controlled automatpass through, and the full speed of the mo- [5 ically by a perforated music-sheet, the rate tor is at once attained.

of travel of the said music-sheet determining E designates an arc-shaped chronometric the tempo of the music. scale.

The object of the invention is to provide a F is a pointer, which by its position on the means for indicating the speed at which the scale indicates the speed at which the music- 2o music-sheet is traveling, which will at the sheet is moving and which at the same time same time regulate the flow of air from the serves as a hand-lever for controlling and opmotor to the bellows, and which, as the result crating the valve by means of suitable conof using few parts and only slightly movable nections and devices between said valve and connections, will insure a reliable movement said indicator-lever. A convenient means 25 of the valve and a quick response to the movefor connecting the said valve and indicatorment of the indicator-lever. lever, so as to secure a reliable movement of In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is the valve and a quick response to the movea transverse vertical section of a musical inments of the indicator-lever, is that shown in strument embodying my improvement. Fig. the accompanying drawings, where the indi o 2 isadetailed top view of my arc-shaped chroncator-lever F is the long arm of a bell-crank, ometric scale, my combined tempo-indicator the short arm f of which is connected to a rod and hand-lever, my valve-box, with its openf, which in turn is connected to the upper ing, my sliding throttle-valve, and the conarm 9 of a rock-shaft G, whose lower arm g necting and cooperating parts. Fig. 3 shows is connected to and impels the said sliding 35 the peculiar form of opening in the valvethrottle-valve 0.

box and the working of the valve on the said To allow of fine adjustment of the valve to opening. the movement of the indicator-lever, instead Similar letters of reference designate corof the upper arm 9 of the rock-shaft being responding parts in all the figures. fixed firmly to the rock-shaft G- it may be pro- 40 A designates aholder for a spool a, to which vided with a collar 9 which will be fitted to spool one end of the music-sheet is permathe said rock-shaft, and provided with a setnently secured. screw, whereby it may be secured to the rock- 13 is a take-up roller to which the free end shaft in different positions. of the music-sheet is detachably secured. The operation of my improvement is sub- 45 This take-up roller 13 is engaged by a gear stantially as follows: Suppose the musicupon apulleyb, driven by a belt b from a pulsheet to have the numerals 50, 20, and ley 19 upon a pneumatic motor employed to 85 marked upon it and that the roller is propel the music-sheet. placed in the instrument. The performer to C is an upper supply-chamber with an openstart the piece at the proper tempo moves the 10c 50 ing a, through which air is supplied or exindicator along the scale untilit reaches 50 hausted to propel the said pneumatic motor. on the scale. As the indicator is also a lever 20 appears, when the performer moves indieator back to 20 on the scale, thus lessening the rate of speed of motor, and consequently reducing the tempo. Again, when to the numeral 85 appears on the sheet the performer moves the indicator along the scale, and the speed of the motorincreases steadily until about S is reached, when, owing to the peculiar shape of the opening 0 the wider I5 portion 0 of said opening, Fig. 3, is suddenly uncovered and a full speed of motor is attained. Thus by moving the indicator slowly along from Zero up the scale I secure a gradual but steady quickening of the tempo until about 80 is reached, when the wider portion is uncovered and the full speed of the motor is instantly attained.

What I claim as new is 1. In a musical instrument wherein the sound-producing devices are controlled by a traveling music-sheet or like device, a pneumatic motor for propelling such device, and means for controlling the supply of air to the said motor and for permitting a gradual in- 3o crease in the volume of air to a certain point and suddenly increasing the volume of air at another point.

2. In a musical instrument wherein the sound-producing devices are controlled by a traveling music-sheet or like device, a pneumatic motor for propelling said device, a throttle-valve for said motor, a scale for indicating tempo and a bell-crank lever one of whose arms serves as a pointer for said scale,

and as a handle and the other of whose arms serves to actuate the said valve.

o. In a musical instrument wherein the sound-producing devices are controlled by a traveling music-sheet or like device, a pneumatic motor for propelling said device, a throttle-valve for said motor, a scale for indicating tempo and a contrivance serving as a pointer for said scale and as a direct controller of the throttle-valve, said valve being provided with an opening shaped so as to permit of a gradual increase in the volume of air to a certain point and to suddenly increase the volume of air at another point.

at. In a musical instrument wherein the sound-producing devices are controlled by a traveling music-sheet or like device, a pneumatic motor for propelling said device, a throttle-valve for said motor, a scale for indicating tempo and a contrivance serving as a pointer for said scale and as a direct controller of the throttle-valve, an adjustable connection being provided between said contrivance and said valve.

5. In a musical instrument wherein the sound-producing devices are controlled by a traveling music-sheet or like device, a pneumatic motor for propelling said device, a throttle-valve for said motor, an opening 0 over which said valve slides, shaped so as to permit of a gradual increase in the volume of air to a certain point and to suddenly increase the volume of air at another point, and a device for controlling the said valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH HERBERT CHASE.

Witnesses:

A. O. BUMPUS, W. K. BRIGHAM. 

